Search

This study is a social media analysis on the use of Twitter at Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) libraries. While information science researchers have begun examining how libraries use social media, the vast majority of these studies are situated at large flagship research-intensive universities. Additionally, there currently exist deficiencies in research on social media deployment at HBCU libraries. We leverage, the IBM Watson's analytic engine, to systemically examine over 23,000, tweets over an eighteen-month period, around a set of objective measures including propagation of retweets and sentiment to assess follower engagement. The analysis found little evidence of follower engagement with library generated content. However, we observed a substantial volume of library tweets coalesced around institutional boosterism, rather than library related phenomena. This non-library related content represented the vast majority of retweets, but paradoxically was propagated by non-followers. Additionally, tweets relating to institutional boosterism produced the most positive sentiment within the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial on emotions and information science research in light of the COVID-19 pandemic is presented. The authors discuss the need to better express emotions, the need for emotional awareness in the development of resiliency and better mental health, and how this can be reflected in information science research and the "MIS Quarterly."

The article discusses a study which provides evidence that coordinated presentation affects analysts' projections of profit margins and justifications for their downgraded decisions. Several mechanisms through which presentation attributes can affect user behavior include: directly affecting information content, indirectly affecting information content through their effects on managers' real or reporting actions and by affecting the ease or manner of users' processing. The advantages and disadvantages of conducting ex ante research are discussed, including the ability provide empirical evidence on an ex ante basis to standard-setting bodies, and the advantages and disadvantages of using professional subjects.

This paper aims to conduct a quantitative evaluation on the achievement, research productivity, and research hotspots of “Library, Information and Archives management” Science schools or departments in China. In this paper, the “LIS” in China is firstly defined. Before evaluation, data are collected from CSSCI (Chinese Social Science Citation Index)-indexed papers and SSCI (Social Science Citation Index)-indexed papers, as well as projects granted by the two authoritative national foundations in China, SSFC (National Social Science Foundation of China) and NSFC (National Natural Science Foundation of China). Then, a bibliometric-based method and a keyword-based method are employed to analyze the collected data from different perspectives, including annual distribution, author productivity, institute productivity and influence. Through the analysis, several conclusions are made: a) collaborative groups exist, though no particular collaboration preference is exhibited. b) Interdisciplinary research promotes the emergence of new disciplines. c) There are four top institutes with outstanding productivity and six hot research topics in the “LIS” study in China. Also, in a five-year period, “LIS” scholars have paid much attention on network technology and its application in this field. Research addressing the view of “information” is much more popular than the ubiquitous conception of “library”. d) There still exist some issues in China's LIS research, for example, the unbalanced development of educational institutes, the excessive preference of theoretical research over technical research, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an extensive amount of Library and Information Science (LIS) writing produced each year. While there is general awareness regarding the variety of journal literature, there is no certainty on the percentage of the collection that we can call research. This project is an important first step in answering the question. A content analysis of the LIS academic/scholarly journals at the Simmons College Library was conducted. The research level collection of LIS literature makes the library an ideal candidate for this study. The latest issue of each journal subscribed to for fiscal year 2012–2013 containing academic/scholarly content was analyzed. Each article was analyzed to determine: 1) if it was research or non-research, 2) the method used to collect data for the study in the article, and 3) the subject terms or keywords associated with the article. 105 journal titles were identified out of 177 periodicals. In the 1880 articles analyzed from these, 16% qualified as research. Surveys were found to be the most popular research method used. This study will benefit students, faculty, and staff with research requirements as well as librarians who guide patrons through a search for research literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand health information provision in the public library setting, two cooperative library systems that serve primarily rural populations in upstate New York were studied. The central library in one of those systems established a consumer health information center (CHIC) in 1999. In the other system, the central library does not have such a center. Visits were made to ten randomly selected libraries in each of the two systems (n = 20), and the query "Do vaccines cause autism?" was posed to library staff. Print resources were provided more often than online resources in both systems. Utilization of the CHIC as a health information resource was inconsistent among libraries. Follow-up phone interviews found none of the twenty libraries had reference policies. Reported practice matched actual practice 60 percent of the time in the system without the CHIC and 40 percent of the time in the system with the CHIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries are heavily affected by political and policy-making processes that shape the funding, activities, and roles of libraries in society, with the explosion of information policy decisions in the past two decades significantly increasing the responsibilities of libraries while also increasing limitations on their activities. Research in library and information science, however, has paid scant attention to these issues over time. If libraries are to be able to effectively advocate for the interests of their institutions, patrons, and communities, researchers need to more strongly engage problems of politics and policymaking that impact libraries. With greater amounts of data and analysis in this area, libraries will be better situated to advocate for their needs in political and policy-making processes, as well as better able to articulate their positions to members of the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative inquiry, a phenomenological qualitative research methodology, examines individual human experiences--stories. Yet, researchers in Library and Information Science (LIS)--a human-focused profession--have infrequently used it. This article introduces narrative inquiry and provides a literature review of the few LIS studies using it. Next, it extrapolates on Coralie McCormack's "storying stories,"1 a multifaceted approach used to analyze narrative inquiry research data. Finally, the article outlines potential uses for narrative inquiry in LIS research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between information science and library science has been debated for decades, and even attempts at utilizing methods generally acknowledged as robust for the purpose of mapping research fields have yielded results with large variations. Therefore, a set of citation analyses was performed, comparing the results of analyses on information science and library science separately but also as a joint library and information science (LIS) field. Although there are large differences, not the least in the author-level analyses, the patterns in the citation data support the concept of a joint LIS field with information science and library science being the two main subfields; many of the variations in the analyses are caused by the interdisciplinary nature of LIS, reflected in, for example, variations in citation practices in the different subfields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the quantitative performance of scholarly LIS research in Asian countries based on articles published during 2001-2007 in journals indexed by the Social Science Citation Index of Web of Knowledge. The quantitative performance of Asian countries has been judged and compared on the basis of various quantitative indicators: (a) size of scientific activity measured by volume of production in various types of publications during the period of study, (b) authorship pattern and collaboration of scientific activity measured by co-authorship and the amount of national and international collaboration, (c) the pattern of citations measured by counting the cited and citing references of published articles, and (d) a newly developed metrics-research performance. The results show that during the last seven years, the publication rate has increased twofold and, among the Asian countries, the authors of the People's Republic of China contributed the greatest number of articles, followed by Taiwan and South Korea. There is also an increasing trend toward collaborative research among Asian authors, with most of the collaboration occurring either among authors from the same country or with authors of non-Asian origin. The research performance analysis indicates that articles written by authors from South Korea received the highest number of citations, followed by Taiwan. Although the quantity of articles published by authors of Taiwan and South Korea is higher than Singapore and Israel, the articles contributed by authors from these latter two blocks appear in higher-impact journals. These findings show the increasing contribution made by Asian scholars to the international LIS literature, and the quality of that research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an empirically-grounded framework for mediating the everyday-life information worlds of youth aged 9-13. "Tweens" are a sandwiched population with behaviors, circumstances, and needs distinct from children and young adults. Little research has addressed their information-seeking, especially regarding nonschool contexts. Thus, empirically-based conceptual tools are needed to help professionals in mediating the complex information worlds of tweens. Guided by multiple frameworks (Dervin's sense-making, Fisher's information grounds, and Chatman's normative behavior), data were collected using the "Tween Day" technique, involving scenario-based focus groups and interviews with thirty-four youth in three distinct settings. The study aimed at understanding the situations for which tweens seek everyday information; which sources they use, and why; what social settings foster information-sharing, and how; and what factors (especially affective) promote or hinder information-seeking. Using these findings, the proposed professional service framework contains five descriptive principles for mediating everyday-life information-seeking and information use by tweens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many academic libraries rely on Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries when making collection development decisions. This study examines holdings and use for books reviewed in Choice, books designated by Choice as Outstanding Academic Titles, and the general collections for two groups of libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten years ago, we presented the DeLone and McLean Information Systems (IS) Success Model as a framework and model for measuring the complex-dependent variable in IS research. In this paper, we discuss many of the important IS success research contributions of the last decade, focusing especially on research efforts that apply, validate, challenge, and propose enhancements to our original model. Based on our evaluation of those contributions, we propose minor refinements to the model and propose an updated DeLone and McLean IS Success Model. We discuss the utility of the updated model for measuring e-commerce system success. Finally, we make a series of recommendations regarding current and future measurement of IS success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes a policy‐analytical perspective on the evolution of standards of research information (RI) and provides a framework for analysing processes of RI standardisation in different research systems. It focuses on the choice of policy instruments on the macro level (government) and their effects with regard to policy reactions, decisions and practices on the meso level (Higher Education institutions). Next to providing a conceptual frame for analysing and comparing—direct and indirect—RI standardisation processes, the paper presents exploratory evidence with regard to the German and Italian science systems. The empirical analysis shows that policies (indirectly) regulating the institutional processing of RI (e.g., evaluation policies) might indeed lead to the standardisation of RI in a science system. Policy reactions on the meso or organisational level, which largely shape the standardisation dynamics, depend on the strategic relevance of the policy and on available implementation support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early- and mid-career researchers will shape the future of library and information science (LIS) research and it is crucial they be well placed to engage with the research impact agenda. Their understanding of research impact may influence their capacity to be returned to research excellence framework (REF), the UK’s research quality assessment tool, as well as their ability to access research funding. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study exploring how the research impact agenda is influencing early- and mid-career researcher behaviour. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 early- and mid-career researchers. While enthusiastic about creating lasting impact, participants lack effective institutional support to maximise their own research impact. Participants demonstrate uncertainty about what REF impact is. The authors conclude that while there is evidence LIS academics engage with practice to maximise impact, they lack support in building impact and the discipline needs to do more to create opportunities for the academy and the profession to coalesce to identify objects for and deliver impactful research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognising the importance of exploring multimodal experiences of information, this paper provides a detailed examination of the scope of visual research methods within information practices research. More specifically, the paper will use the examples from one completed study (Lloyd and Wilkinson, 2017) and one ongoing study (Hicks, in progress) to discuss and provide a detailed examination of the use, affordances and limitations of two research methods that centre upon participant-created photographs: photo-elicitation and photovoice. Demonstrating that the use of photographs helps to evoke and communicate complex meaning as well as to mediate between linguistic, temporal and spatial constraints, this study highlights the continuing need to develop research methods that privilege participants’ understandings and perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this text the dynamics of scientific collaboration and thematic relations present in the Revista Interamericana de Bibliotecología during the period 2005-2016 are visible, comparing the recurrence ranking of researchers, organizations and subjects with those obtained through Network Analysis. It identifies a low international participation in the authorship of RIB contents and a thematic orientation towards public libraries and aspects related to reading (promotion and animation), as well as a greater focus on local experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researchers of different fields are faced with extensive problems because of the complications of today's world; therefore, making interdisciplinary links with other fields seems inevitable. In this regard, it seems that information science and knowledge are not needless of the findings of other disciplines because of their nature, aims, services and functions, and they are trying to drive the benefit of such links through establishing proper links with closer fields like communication. To this aim, the present research tries to introduce the media system dependency theory as one of the prominent theories in the field of communication, and also explains its potentials, and suggests its application in the theoretical framework of researches in information science and knowledge. It seems that using this theory in the studies of fields such as information seeking and searching, collection development, notices and service dissemination, information recovery, and also the field of promoting reading can open a new horizon to researchers in those fields, and therefore, help such studies to be scientifically fruitful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now that information proliferates, information science should turn its attention towards higher order epistemic aims, such as understanding. Before systems to support the building of understanding can be designed, the process of building understanding must be explored. This article discusses the findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis study on the information experience of participants in a 100-mile footrace which reveal how these participants have built understanding in their athletic pursuits. Three ways in which ultrarunners build understanding – by taking time, by undergoing struggle and by incorporating multiple perspectives – are described. The ensuing discussion leads to three questions that can guide the future development of information systems that support understanding: First, how can information science slow people down? Second, how can information science encourage people to willingly struggle? And, third, how can information science stimulate analogical thinking? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on three participant observation studies conducted in schools and libraries in South Africa, between 1999 and 2015. The study findings have been reported on elsewhere, thus the focus is on the methodologies used, with the common thread being the author's preoccupation with the information literacy education of South African pupils. The author's purpose was to provide evidence of the impact of the dire lack of resources and libraries at South African schools. The first study in 1999 explored how teachers at an underresourced primary school in Cape Town, Western Cape, were coping with the demands of the new curriculum. The second study in 2006 examined two public libraries in a rural town in Mpumalanga, with seven local schools, but no school libraries. The third study in 2015 involved the library at a high school in Kayelitsha township outside Cape Town, which is part of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) project to employ school leavers to manage school libraries. Participant observation is rare in the Library and Information Science (LIS) research literature and the author's aim is to demonstrate its power to dig beneath the surface. The article uncovers the complex relations and tacit beliefs that existed at the three research sites, which are probably at play in other contexts and which have to be taken into account in planning effective programmes in South African schools and libraries. The article also acknowledges the ethical challenges, arguably inherent in participant observation, which relate to the often sensitive relations among participants, and to the researcher's positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is the first of its kind as it attempts to ascertain the current status of library and information science (LIS) research from the Chinese perspective, by focusing on English research contributions by Chinese LIS scholars. Leading contributors; individual (author) contributors; institutional contributors, and research collaborations were examined. The review comprises 564 articles published in international journals indexed by Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) from 2012-2013. Co-authorship analysis and co-citation analysis were used to draw the results. The results revealed two major findings; first, the Chinese research community is engaged in focusing on cross-national collaboration to establish their existence in international literature and establish colleague relationship with foreigner researchers. USA, UK, and Belgium are the primary counterparts of international collaborative papers. Chinese institutions have eminent professors in the LIS field who incorporate internationaloriented scholarly researches (48.04%) around the globe. Secondly, Chinese researchers have enough knowledge to conduct research, both as single authors (26.24%) and through internal academic collaboration between senior and junior researchers. The Chinese LIS research community has not paid much attention to conducting research on inter-institutional level (7.20%) and on inter-regional level (6.73%). Nevertheless, Wuhan University, City University Hong Kong, and Chinese Academy of Sciences have emerged as the leading institutions in producing LIS publications. Chinese immigrant scholars also have contributed to LIS China's international scientific collaboration. It is a worthwhile and unique study as it examines the collaboration trends networks analysis of international publications by Chinese scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ongoing conversation in the Information Systems literature addresses the concern, “How can we conduct research that makes a difference?” A shortage of high-impact research will, over time, challenge the identity and weaken the viability of IS as an academic discipline. This paper presents the systematic high-impact research model (SHIR), an approach to conducting high-impact research. SHIR embodies the insight gained from three streams of high-impact research programs spanning more than 50 years. The SHIR framework rests on the proposition that IS researchers can produce higher-impact contributions by developing long-term research programs around major real-world issues, as opposed to ad hoc projects addressing a small piece of a large problem. These persistent research programs focus on addressing the entirety of an issue, by leveraging multidisciplinary, multiuniversity research centers that employ a breadth of research methods and large-scale projects. To function effectively, SHIR programs must be sustained by academic and practitioner partnerships, research centers, and outreach activities. We argue that SHIR research programs increase the likelihood of high impact research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the avoidance of Type III errors in the development of information systems (IS) research problems. Topics include the need for relevant research questions, risks in the formulation of research problems, and the relation between disciplinary and interdisciplinary aspects of IS research.

An analysis of 2428 papers indexed by Indian citation Index during 2004-2015 indicate that the pattern of growth of Indian library and information science literature has been highly inconsistent with highest number of papers published in 2010. Academic institutions contributed about 86% of papers. Prolific institutions contributed about 44% of the output, with Mysore University topping the list closely followed by University of Delhi. However, highest impact as reflected by citation per paper was made by CSIR-NISTADS and CSIR-NISCAIR. B.M. Gupta of CSIR-NISTADS topped the list, but highest CPP was for K.C.Garg of the same institute. SRELS Journal of Information Management published the highest number of papers and the area of bibliometrics and scientometrics was the area of priority of LIS professionals in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper used bibliometrics to examine patterns of publication output in library and information science (LIS) research in Nigerian universities from 2000 to 2014 in terms of the trend in publication output in LIS research, the most visible (productive) universities and authors, the most cited universities and authors, and publication sources. The Web of Science was used as the source of the data. The findings of the study revealed a fluctuating and unpredictable trend in the annual publication output in LIS research in Nigeria. The University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, and Delta State University were found to be the three most visible (productive) universities in LIS research. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that there should be increased investment in LIS research by Nigerian universities towards a steady increase in sustained quality publication output to support national development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Swedish School of Library and Information Science (SSLIS) at the University of Borås in Sweden which is new publisher of the periodical "Information Research." It provides an overview of SSLIS, its research collaboration with the business community, culture and public sector, and research projects. The conferences held by the association are also mentioned.

Introduction. Information researchers have been urged to move beyond the individual behaviourist paradigm to broaden our view of information activities. Increasingly information scholars suggest we treat information activities as practices, and to re-position information research within the bounds of practice theory. But what exactly is practice theory, how does it relate to information, and what does it offer to information research? Aim. This paper takes as its starting point the arguments of those who suggest an information practice approach can better identify and analyse the full range of information activities. It briefly examines the practice approach in the social sciences and identifies seven essential characteristics of practices: action-based, temporal, situated, continuous and recurrent, embodied, mediated and social. Using these characteristics as categories of activity, the researcher can develop a conceptual framework of practice which may be profitably utilised in an empirical examination of human information. Conclusion. The paper concludes that an examination of information activities in accordance with this framework of practice could allow researchers to gain a wider understanding of all that goes into a person becoming informed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) has been envisaged as a crucial tool for the growing creative class of knowledge workers, but adequate technological solutions have not been forthcoming. Background Based on former affordance-related publications (primarily concerned with communication, community-building, collaboration, and social knowledge sharing), the common and differing narratives in relation to PKM are investigated in order to suggest further PKM capabilities and affordances in need to be conferred. Methodology The paper follows up on a series of the author's PKM-related publications, firmly rooted in design science research (DSR) methods and aimed at creating an innovative PKM concept and prototype system. Contribution The affordances presented offer PKM system users the means to retain and build upon knowledge acquired in order to sustain personal growth and facilitate productive collaborations between fellow learners and/or professional acquaintances. Findings The results call for an extension of Nonaka's SECI model and 'ba' concept and provide arguments for and evidence supporting the claims that the PKM concept and system is able to facilitate better knowledge traceability and KM practices. Recommendations and Impact on Society Together with the prior publications, the paper points to current KM shortcomings and presents a novel trans-disciplinary approach offering appealing opportunities for stakeholders engaged in the context of curation, education, research, development, business, and entrepreneurship. Its potential to tackle opportunity divides has been addressed via a PKM for Development (PKM4D) Framework. Future DSR Activities After completing the test phase of the prototype, its transformation into a viable PKM system and cloud-based server based on a rapid development platform and a noSQL-database is estimated to take 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose We establish a conceptually rigorous definition for the widely used but loosely defined term "fitness". We then tie this definition to complexity, highlighting a number of important implications for the informing science transdiscipline. Background As informing science increasingly incorporates concepts of fitness and complexity in its research stream, rigorous discussion and definition of both terms is essential to effective communication. Methodology Our analysis consists principally of a synthesis of past work in the informing science field that incorporates concepts from evolutionary biology, economics and management. Contribution We provide a rigorous approach to defining fitness and introduce the construct "extrinsic complexity", as a measure of the amount of information required to predict fitness, to more fully differentiate this form of complexity from other complexity constructs. We draw a number of conclusions regarding how behaviors under low and high extrinsic complexity will differ. Findings High extrinsic complexity environments are likely to produce behaviors that include resistance to change, imitation, turbulence and inequality. Recommendations for Practitioners As extrinsic complexity grows, effective search for problem solutions will increasingly dominate employing recommended solutions of "best practices". Recommendation for Researchers As extrinsic complexity grows, research tools that rely on decomposing individual effects and hypothesis testing become increasingly unreliable. Impact on Society We raise concerns about society's continuing investment in academic research that discounts the extrinsic complexity of the domains under study. Future Research We highlight a need for research to operationalize the concepts of fitness and complexity in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose The objective of this paper is to review the vast literature of user-centric information science and inform about the emerging themes in information behaviour science. Background The paradigmatic shift from system-centric to user-centric approach facilitates research on the cognitive and individual information processing. Various information behaviour theories/models emerged. Methodology Recent information behaviour theories and models are presented. Features, strengths and weaknesses of the models are discussed through the analysis of the information behaviour literature. Contribution This paper sheds light onto the weaknesses in earlier information behaviour models and stresses (and advocates) the need for research on social information behaviour. Findings Prominent information behaviour models deal with individual information behaviour. People live in a social world and sort out most of their daily or work problems in groups. However, only seven papers discuss social information behaviour (Scopus search). Recommendations for Practitioners ICT tools used for inter-organisational sharing should be redesigned for effective information-sharing during disaster/emergency times. Recommendation for Researchers There are scarce sources on social side of the information behaviour, however, most of the work tasks are carried out in groups/teams. Impact on Society In dynamic work contexts like disaster management and health care settings, collaborative information-sharing may result in decreasing the losses. Future Research A fieldwork will be conducted in disaster management context investigating the inter-organisational information-sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) expanded and updated its inclusion criteria and its journal evaluation process, ultimately removing a large number of journals that failed to submit an updated application. The present study examined the results of the new process and its capability to improve the quality of the directory and the reliability of the information contained in it. A dataset of 12.595 journals included in DOAJ, since its launch in 2003 until May 15th 2016, was examined and compared to other data. The number of journals deleted from DOAJ during this period is 3776; the majority of them (2851 journals) were excluded because publishers failed to complete the reapplication on time; 490 had ceased publication or were otherwise inactive; 375 were excluded for ethical issues; 53 because they were no longer open access or the content was embargoed, the final 7 were removed for other reasons. The top five countries in terms of the percentage of journals removed are: Japan (74% of journals removed); Pakistan (60%); Canada (51%); United States (50%); and Mexico (49%). Our study has shown that 158 of the removed journals are included in Beall's lists; 1130 journals indexed in DOAJ are included in Scopus and/or JCR. Our analysis demonstrates that, thanks to the new acceptance criteria, to the improved screening process performed by national groups under the direction of the new management, there is a noticeable quality improvement of the journals indexed in DOAJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for methodologically rigorous approaches to the study of human experience in LIS has emerged in recent years. Auto-hermeneutics is a research approach that offers a systematic way to study one’s own experiences with information, allowing investigators to explore yet-undocumented contexts, setting precedents for further work in these areas and ultimately deepening our understanding of information experiences. This articulation of auto-hermeneutics is based on the phenomenological method of Heidegger and draws principles from systematic self-observation and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Similarities and differences among auto-hermeneutics and other automethodologies are discussed, along with guidelines for assessing auto-hermeneutic research. Finally, an example of an auto-hermeneutic study illustrates the unique contributions this approach affords. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a global portrait of the current library and information science (LIS) research community in Canada. Analyzing the scientific production of Canadian LIS faculty members, we look more specifically at disciplines and country affiliations of co-authors and research topics of faculty members. Our results depict a mostly national and LIS-oriented network of collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current data-intensive era, the traditional hands-on method of conducting scientific research by exploring related publications to generate a testable hypothesis is well on its way of becoming obsolete within just a year or two. Analyzing the literature and data to automatically generate a hypothesis might become the de facto approach to inform the core research efforts of those trying to master the exponentially rapid expansion of publications and datasets. Here, viewpoints are provided and discussed to help the understanding of challenges of data-driven discovery. The Panama Canal, the 77-kilometer waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, has played a crucial role in international trade for more than a century. However, digging the Panama Canal was an exceedingly challenging process. A French effort in the late 19th century was abandoned because of equipment issues and a significant loss of labor due to tropical diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The United States officially took control of the project in 1902. The United States replaced the unusable French equipment with new construction equipment that was designed for a much larger and faster scale of work. Colonel William C. Gorgas was appointed as the chief sanitation officer and charged with eliminating mosquito-spread illnesses. After overcoming these and additional trials and tribulations, the Canal successfully opened on August 15, 1914. The triumphant completion of the Panama Canal demonstrates that using the right tools and eliminating significant threats are critical steps in any project. More than 100 years later, a paradigm shift is occurring, as we move into a data-centered era. Today, data are extremely rich but overwhelming, and extracting information out of data requires not only the right tools and methods but also awareness of major threats. In this data-intensive era, the traditional method of exploring the related publications and available datasets from previous experiments to arrive at a testable hypothesis is becoming obsolete. Consider the fact that a new article is published every 30 seconds (). In fact, for the common disease of diabetes, there have been roughly 500,000 articles published to date; even if a scientist reads 20 papers per day, he will need 68 years to wade through all the material. The standard method simply cannot sufficiently deal with the large volume of documents or the exponential growth of datasets. A major threat is that the canon of domain knowledge cannot be consumed and held in human memory. Without efficient methods to process information and without a way to eliminate the fundamental threat of limited memory and time to handle the data deluge, we may find ourselves facing failure as the French did on the Isthmus of Panama more than a century ago. Scouring the literature and data to generate a hypothesis might become the de facto approach to inform the core research efforts of those trying to master the exponentially rapid expansion of publications and datasets (). In reality, most scholars have never been able to keep completely up-to-date with publications and datasets considering the unending increase in quantity and diversity of research within their own areas of focus, let alone in related conceptual areas in which knowledge may be segregated by syntactically impenetrable keyword barriers or an entirely different research corpus. Research communities in many disciplines are finally recognizing that with advances in information technology there needs to be new ways to extract entities from increasingly data-intensive publications and to integrate and analyze large-scale datasets. This provides a compelling opportunity to improve the process of knowledge discovery from the literature and datasets through use of knowledge graphs and an associated framework that integrates scholars, domain knowledge, datasets, workflows, and machines on a scale previously beyond our reach (). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hallmark of Hope Olson's work has been to use a different set of analytical tools to examine our knowledge organization systems from humanistic, feminist, and philosophical angles. These perspectives have led to the uncovering of many instances and types of bias that lead to the marginalization of human groups. An important phenomenon her work has illuminated is intersectionality, a concept that arose from identity studies but has a literal embodiment in knowledge organization environments. Intersectionality describes the transformative, interlocking, and conflicting oppressions that occur when humans belong to more than one identity category. The concept arose with black women (but is not restricted to women) and has since extended to different variables beyond gender and race, such as sexual orientation, national origin, or able-bodiedness. In knowledge organization systems, mutual exclusivity, linearity, and hierarchy prohibit an easy solution for intersectional topics. Topics can be structurally or semantically misrepresented or erased. This article builds upon Olson's research to provide theoretical context from identity studies, further examples from knowledge organization, and describes some of the proposed methods of managing intersectionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the epistemic stances and research methods and techniques of the thirty-three journal articles that Hope Olson published during the period 1991-2015. For the analysis of the epistemic stances, we use Hjørland's classification of epistemological stances (namely rationalism, empiricism, historicism, and pragmatism), and for the classification of methodologies and methods we use the taxonomy used by Beak et al., loosely based on the consulted literature. Results of the analysis are presented and discussed in the context of the poststructuralist stance adopted by Hope Olson throughout her career. We highlight the impact of the innovative research methods and techniques and poststructuralist theoretical frameworks that Hope Olson introduced and used in knowledge organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge organization systems, including classifications, can be evaluated and explained by reference to what is called concept theory, attributing to concepts atomic status as basic elements. There are two ways to test knowledge organization systems; both are means of measuring the efficacy of concept theory in specific situations. These are: 1) analyze how well a system represents its warranted concepts; and, 2) analyze how well individual knowledge organization systems are populated with classified target objects. This paper is an attempt to bring together examples from ongoing research to demonstrate the use of empirical approaches to understanding the evolution of knowledge across time as it is represented in knowledge organization systems. The potential for using knowledge organization as a roadmap for the world of knowledge is revealed in the capability of knowledge organization systems to serve as roadmaps and data-mining tools for the knowledge landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of increasing and widening participation in post-compulsory science and informal science learning (ISL) spaces is widely recognized—particularly for working-class and minority ethnic communities. While there is a growing understanding of the intersection of femininity with class, ethnicity, and science learning across formal and informal settings, there has been little work on how masculinity may shape urban boys’ science (non)participation and (dis)engagement. This article analyzes performances of masculinity enacted by 36 urban, working-class boys (from diverse ethnic backgrounds) during school science museum visits, exploring how these performances relate to science identity and engagement. We identify three main performances of masculinity enacted during the visits (“laddishness,” “muscular intellect,” and “translocational masculinity”), and trace the implications of each for boys’ science engagement. We consider the power implications of these performances, notably the extent to which hegemonic masculinity is normalized within the science museum space, the ways in which this normalization is co-constitutive of the boys’ performances of masculinity, and the implications of the boys’ performances of masculinity for other students (notably girls and less dominant boys). The article concludes with implications for research, policy, and practice regarding how to promote equitable participation and science learning within ISL. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We introduce the notion of relative trace which is motivated by an observation about the category of vector spaces and linear transformations and builds upon the categorical trace of Joyal, Street, and Verity. Furthermore, we define a new categorical trace based on a trace formula first introduced by J. Bernstein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper finds out the citation management and the needs of students of Department of Library and Information Science, University of Delhi, and how online citation tools it into their academic and research process. The results indicate that all the respondents are aware of online citation tools and using them occasionally. EasyBib was the popular online citation tool among respondents. The survey results show that most of the respondents learned the online citation tools through department's website. The main purpose of using online citation tools was for their academic/research work. Most of the respondents were accessing online citation tools from the Delhi University Computer Centre. They had not received any formal training for creating online citations. Simplified and easy bibliography and automatic creation of references list are two major benefits of online citation tools. The most obvious impediment is that they have never used the online tools before. Meagre respondents wanted training in using online citation tools for creating efficient references. The findings of the study will not only help the Library and Information Science students about knowing what a citation is and understanding the concepts of citation styles and formatting, but also help citation-related competencies and skills in recognising citations and understanding their functions in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]